Dark Surprise
by nasiamarie88
Summary: As a cruel twist of fate, Squall and Rinoa are thrust into the world of FFVII just as they were starting their life together. Separated and alone, they team up with new allies to face a danger that dares to rise again. Any pairings are possible, Read2See!
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Attention all Squall/Rinoa lovers. Be warned that their characters in this fanfiction will probably not be accurate to their persona's in FF8 due to the fact that I have actually never played FF8. I read on Wiki what happened in the game and read about their respective personalities, but I cannot guarantee that they will be anything like the game. This is more for FF7 with help from FF8. If you can look past that, enjoy. If not, get over it. Thanks. =)

Chapter One – New Beginnings

Water. He could feel water. What was going on? He opened his eyes and immediately regretted it. Water flooded his vision, burning his eyes. His immediate reaction was to take a deep breath, which also was a bad idea. He breathed in a lungful of water, causing him to cough. Panicky, his first instinct was to swim to the surface. He opened his eyes once more, trying to see how far the surface was. It looked like an endless sea of water. This wasn't right, this couldn't be right. He was finally going to be happy, he was going to start a life with Rinoa. He can't die now. He started swimming again, more forcefully this time. He would reach the surface, no matter what it took. Then he would find out who put him here and why. And what happened to Rinoa? If anything happened to her...That thought put determination into his strokes. But it wasn't enough. Just when he thought he was going to make it, lack of oxygen shut him down. He passed out midstroke, underwater. As the darkness took him over, he almost thought he heard her. "Squall..."

"Aeris! Aeris come quick!!" The frantic voice came from a young woman with long black hair and bright blue eyes. She came rushing into the small house breathless, stopping at the door for a moment. It was was obvious she has been running, and quickly too. Once she had caught her breath, she began to explain.

"Aeris...they found someone...in the water..." The girl gasped between breaths. Another girl the same age stood abruptly from the seat she was sitting in. She had green eyes and long brown hair tied up and braided down. Both women wore the same white cloak, and had the same set of large white wings. Aeris' green eyes widened at the girls statement, and looked out the window as if to get her answers.

"In the water? But that's impossible! There are no Cetra's left! I was the last..." Aeris exclaimed, looking at her friend. The other woman shook her head and looked down at the ground. She knew that. That's why everyone was in an uproar. The only way into the Promised Land is for a Cetra to die. And when a Cetra dies, he is reborn into the Promised Land through the open ocean to the North. It is the only source of water on the continent, known to bring life to those Cetra's. It is what sustains the Cetra's who live in the Promised Land.

Therefore...with Aeris having been the last of her dying race....no one was expecting a visitor. "We know Aeris...but he's here. He just...floated to shore. He's unconscious. They took him to the Shrine to see if he will wake." She said, her electric blue eyes gauging Aeris' reaction. There was another. What could this mean?

"Elimir, what has Alek said about this...newcomer?" Aeris asked quietly. Elimir lowered her blue eyes back to the floor. She knew her husband's view on the visitor. He thought he was a bad omen and should be left alone. He didn't even want to pull him from the water. But it was Aeris' own mother who overruled him. Ifalna immediately disagreed, and the others listened to her. Ifalna's infinite wisdom usually overrode Alek's authority...and he did not like that at all.

Alek was the leader of the Cetra's, and in many ways like one of the Elder's that governed them. Though he was married to the beautiful Elimir, he had made several plays for Aeris behind closed doors. She denied his advances, appalled at his behavior. It wasn't like him to be unfaithful. But she couldn't bring herself to tell her best friend, because she knew how much she adored him. So she kept her mouth zipped and tried to stay away from him.

"He thinks he's a bad omen. He thinks....we should let him die." Elimir said, keeping her ashamed stare focused on the tiles of the floor. She knew what Aeris would think of her husband, what she thought of him right now. How could such words come from his lips? But Aeris was much more understanding than she was. She put a comforting arm on her friend's shoulder and offered her a smile.

"It will be okay." she said. Elimir nodded, but closed her eyes. She was unwilling to let the newcomer die, and she knew Alek all too well.

"He's gonna try to kill him!" She blurted out...then gasped and held a hand over her mouth. Aeris' green eyes widened, then looked out the door.

"I'm sorry...but I just know he will. He sees him as a threat...and..."

"When? When, Elimir?"

"As soon as he's alone with him...Oh...Alek..." Elimir whimpered, falling to her knees. She wasn't sure what she'd just done, but she knew in her heart she'd done the right thing. Before she could say another word, Aeris ran out the door and flew into the air.

She flew as fast as her wings would take her to the Shrine on the hill. The Shrine was used as a place to worship the Elder's who kept the Cetra and the Promised Land safe. They existed as entities, with knowledge and understanding beyond any of the others. They appointed a leader, such as Alek, to guide their people in their stead. The Shrine was where they resided, and summoned upon when needed.

And if Alek was planning what Elimir was suggesting...they were needed.

Aeris reached the Shrine in record time, not bothering to land. She flew right through the open pillars and into the large open area . She spotted Alek inside, a knife in his hand. He stood tall, with short blonde hair and dark brown eyes. When he was angry, his eyes almost seemed black.

There was another man on the ground, backing away from Alek. He had dark hair that covered his face, and dark eyes that spotted Aeris immediately. Her heart fluttered immediately. It was him. The man from her dreams. She wondered if he had the same scar as the man in her dream. He had the same dark eyes as him, at least. Those same eyes widened, surprised. But the man's attention was quickly drawn back to Alek, who lunged again.

Reflexively, the man dove and rolled out of Alek's range, and jumped to his feet. When standing, he was slightly taller than Alek, but that didn't seem to phase him. "Look, I don't know what's going on!" He exclaimed in a deep voice, holding up an open palm at Alek in hopes to halt his attacks.

"You are dangerous! You could ruin everything!!" Alek growled, and charged at him. Aeris dove in, landing in front of the man in a gust of wind and feathers. She stood between him and Alek with her wings spread out as far as they could to protect him. "Alek!" She bellowed angrily. Her strong voice reverberated through the room, and stopped him dead in his tracks.

"A-Aeris..." he stuttered, dropping the knife in surprise. His brown eyes stared at her in disbelief. He had never seen her so...beautiful. For a moment he was so stunned that he forgot her anger was directed at him. He could never understand how Sephiroth could kill a creature so lovely, but he was glad he did. Because otherwise she would still be on the Planet and not in the Promised Land. And that would be a tragedy.

Alek's eyes drifted past Aeris to rest on the man who stood behind her, looking out from behind her protective wings. That was the man he was warned of, that was the man he had to kill to ensure the plans perfection. But somehow...he had to convince Aeris that he was evil. Wait...how did she know he wasn't? She's never even met this guy before, yet she swoops in and protects him?

After a few moments of staring each other down, Alek spoke. "Aeris, you don't know what you are doing. He's evil. He's here to undermine everything we have worked for!" he exclaimed, pointing angrily at the man behind her. She didn't move, just glared at him. Behind her, she heard the man shuffle his feet.

"I told you already, I have no idea what you are talking about! I don't even know what you have worked for, much less how to undermine it!" the man said defensively. Then, after a pause he spoke again. "Or where I am...or what you are...for that matter." He said much quieter. Alek didn't hear him, but Aeris did.

"I believe you." She said simply, turning her head to the side to show she was talking to the man behind her. Alek's rage boiled over.

"What?! You believe HIM...over ME?!!" he yelled, balling his hands into fists. "Why you..." He started marching up to her with his fists raised, which surprised Aeris so much she froze. This was not like Alek at all. He was going to hit her!

But the man behind her, even though he had no idea what he was doing or why, stepped out from behind Aeris and tackled the angry man before he could hit her. He plowed him to the ground and rolled him over, pinning him on his stomach with one arm behind his back. "GET OFF ME." Alek demanded, but the man didn't budge.

"Alek!!" Elimir exclaimed, coming out from the pillar she was hiding behind. She rushed to Aeris' side, who was still staring at Alek in disbelief. "Aeris...that's not Alek. That's not my husband. He would never...ever hit a woman." she tried to explain, tears welling in her eyes. Aeris turned to her friend and hugged her.

"It's ok, Elimir. I know. Something's wrong." she whispered, then turned back to the man and Alek. The hatred and rage boiling in Alek's black eyes were not his own. Something was very very wrong, and it all started with the man who was now pinning their leader.

"Can you hold him? I'm going to summon the Elder's.." she asked. The man lifted his head up to look at her, dark hair parting and showing his face.

"Yes." Was all he said, but she didn't hear. The scar. He had the same scar as the man from her dream. She knew she was right in protecting him. Somehow, he was going to save them. The question now was...from what? The Elders would know. She nodded and turned to the large statue in the back of the large room. It portrayed three of the first and oldest Cetra. A woman floated in the center, her wings so large they spread from wall to wall. On either side were two very muscular men, almost like her bodyguards. All three sets of eyes were on her as she approached.

As she had so many times before, she knelt at their feet and whispered a prayer. "Brucius. Acacia. Damon. Hear my plea. We are in need of your wisdom, show yourself to me." Aeris whispered, her voice so soft only Elimir heard it. But instead of the gushing wind, the harmony and the warmth that usually came with calling forth the Elders, only the cold room greeted her.

Something was very wrong.

The Elders had never ignored anyone before. . Aeris blinked a few times, then whispered her prayer again. Nothing. Elimir gasped behind her. Aeris whirled around, and stared at her friend. Neither knew what to do. "Is something wrong?" The man asked. Aeris stared at him for a fleeting second, then turned back to the statue that stared at her.

Elimir walked up to Aeris and touched her shoulder. "Come. We need to bind Alek and see what he knows. I will go in search of something to confine him in...You keep trying." She said. It broke her heart to see her husband the way he was, but she took solace in the fact that it was not her husband...but a demon who stole his body. And she would eradicate this demon...

Aeris heard her friend fly out of the room, and closed her eyes. She prayed that her assumptions were wrong, and the Elders would answer her plea. But they still didn't. Dread creeped into her heart and she had to fight down the tears that threatened to spill over. She was scared. Scared for might come. Scared for her Elders. Scared for her people. Minutes later, she heard Elimir return, turning to see her land. She had in her hand a chair, and several chains.

The man was suddenly thrown back by a force not capable by Alek alone. He hit a pillar and fell to a heap on the ground. Aeris gasped, and Alek went straight for the knife he'd dropped earlier. "Alek, no!" Elimir screamed, trying to beat him to it. But he got there first and snatched it up off the ground. Realizing she wasn't going to make it, Elimir tried to fly away, but Alek grabbed her foot, slamming her to the ground and stabbing her with the knife. She screamed in pain and grasped the wound, staring at her maniacal husband.

He raised the knife to stab again, but was hit by a hard shoulder. Aeris flew at him top speed, tackling him at 100+ mph. It was enough to knock him off the girl and send him flying into the wall, and crash through it. Aeris swooped in, and dragged his unconscious body back to the chair, chaining him up tight and taking the knife before checking on her bleeding friend.

"Aeris...don't...kill him." Elimir whimpered, grabbing Aeris' face with a bloody hand. "Please..." she cried. Aeris shook her head violently.

"I'm going to save him. For you. But first we have to save you." She said, tears welling up in her own eyes now. Elimir shook her head. The newcomer regained consciousness, and crawled over to the two women.

"What happened?" he asked. Aeris grabbed his hand and told him to apply pressure to her wound. She knew only one way to save her friends life, and she had to be quick.

"Stay." She ordered, then bolted out in a flurry of feathers. The man looked down at Elimir and did as he was told, applying pressure to the poor girl's wounds.

"Don't...hurt him." she kept saying, falling into unconsciousness unwillingly. She repeated herself over and over, her voice growing weaker. 'Squall Leonhart...what in the world are you doing?' he asked himself. He had no idea where he was, much less who or what these people were. Wings? Elders? This was definitely not home. Before he could think any further, the girl's voice dropped to a whisper.

She was dying. Just when he thought Aeris wasn't gonna make it back in time, she came flying back in with a bucket, sploshing water everywhere. He jumped back in surprise when she dumped the water on the dying girl.

"What the?!" He exclaimed, staring at Aeris. But her focus was on her friend, praying aloud that it has to work. He looked back, and was amazed to see the blood soaking back into the girls skin, and her wound healing before his eyes.

"What is this place? What are you people?!" He demanded. Aeris turned to him, and Elimir sat up where moments ago she was dying on the floor.

"You're in the Promised Land." Elimir said softly, using her wings to help her stand. Aeris just smiled at him softly.

"And we are angels." she said.

"Angels? Am...Am I dead?" He asked, gulping. Aeris and Elimir exchanged worried glances. This wasn't good. This couldn't be good.

He had to get out of here. He had to get home. He had to find Rinoa.

He had to find out if she was safe.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two – Unexpected

Too long. It had been too long since Cloud had last visited this beloved church. The floor was still a swimming pool of healing rain where the flowers had once been. It was more of a wreck than it had ever been, what with Kadaj and him flying through here on their motorcycles. A memory of that very fight came to mind, then Kadaj turning into Sephiroth made Cloud shudder.

He shook off the memory, and walked to the edge of the floorboards. He stared at his reflection in the water for several long moments. He had forgiven himself for Aeris' death, but he still found himself here. It gave him peace, feeling close to her. Here, he could think.

Suddenly, his reflection started to distort. A wind picked up, and water began to rise from the pool. "Aeris?" He asked aloud. He got no response, but the water kept rising, and started to circle in the air above the pool. Cloud stepped back, and put a hand on the hilt of his sword. What was happening? It began to take the form of an upside-down tornado, with the open part pointed directly at the pool. Then suddenly a woman appeared from the portal, and landed in the water.

Cloud was so surprised, it took him a minute to realize what was happening. When the girl hit the water, the floating water portal dissipated and fell back to the pool. He expected to hear the splashing around of the woman he saw, but there was nothing. The quieter it grew, the more worried he was. He took a few steps forward, and saw the lifeless girl under the water. Tifa?!

Heart racing, he jumped in the water and ran to her. The water was only waist-deep, but enough to drown his unconscious friend. He reached under the water and grabbed her by the blue jacket she was wearing. He didn't remember ever seeing this jacket before. What was she doing? How did she get transported here? He pulled her from the water and carried her to the wooden floorboards and climbed out.

He reached for an Elixir, and froze. This wasn't Tifa. She looked just like her, same black hair and porcelain skin. But this wasn't Tifa. Who was she? The blonde haired man uncorked the Elixir, and raised it over the unconscious girls mouth. He reached down to open her mouth and she jerked away from his touch. Surprised, he pulled away and watched. The still wet skin was glistening. The healing rain!

The water seeped into her skin and clothing, healing her from the inside. Leave it to Aeris to save another life, even after having died herself. Cloud smiled lightly at the thought, and recorked the Elixir and waited for the girl to open her eyes. It didn't take long.

Moments later, the girl coughed up what water was in her lungs and sat up abruptly. Too abruptly. She immediately fell back to the floor, but Cloud caught her. "Where am I?" she asked, without opening her eyes. Cloud debated on how to tell her...what to tell her.

"Sector 5 Slums. Midgar." He said softly. There was a moment of silence, then the girl's eyes flew open. She locked eyes with him, and very nearly screamed. She jerked and rolled out of his arms, then jumped up. Cloud stood as well, facing her. She raised her fists, as she had nothing else to fight with. Instead of drawing his sword, he held up his hands in defeat.

"I won't hurt you." He said reassuringly, though he was fairly certain by her gaze that his words didn't have the intended effect.

"Who are you?" She demanded, her brown eyes narrowing on the blonde man before her. He was tall, almost as tall as Squall. He hah spiky blonde hair and glowing blue eyes. The only thing that stood out besides his eyes was the small pink ribbon tied around his bicep.

What kind of man wore a pink ribbon on his arm? This wasn't right. Where was Squall? She was talking to him right before she passed out, where was he?! Where was she...for that matter...

"My name is Cloud Strife. You are in a church in the Sector 5 Slums." He explained, hoping to ease her tension for just a moment. It seemed to work, because she took her eyes off him to take in her surroundings.

"This...is a church?" She scoffed. She looked back at him, intending to make fun. But the broken look on his face made her regret it. He looked positively heartbroken.

"This was a friend of mine's favorite place." He said quietly, turning away from her to stand by the water. The woman stood completely still for several moments, pondering her quick tongue. He didn't seem dangerous, so she took a chance. How else was she going to get home but to have help? How else would she get back to Squall?

She walked up behind him, and looked down at their reflections in the sparkling green water. "I'm sorry." She said softly. Cloud didn't say anything, so she cleared her throat, intent on fixing this. "My name is Rinoa. Rinoa Heartilly." She said with a cheerful smile, holding out a hand for him to shake.

He turned to look at her, unsure if she was being serious. One minute she was about to give him the beating of a lifetime, the next she's smiling and shaking his hand. This was going to be fun. But he shook her hand anyway and forced a smile.

"Good. Nice to meet you Cloud. Now. Do you know the fastest way to Balamb?" she asked. Cloud looked at her, and she took a step away from him. "What?" She asked.

"Balamb? What is that?" He asked. Rinoa stared blankly at him. He didn't know where Balamb was? Didn't know...what...it was? This wasn't good. 'Squall...where are you?' her mind cried out helplessly.

"Balamb...is a continent..." she started, afraid to finish. Cloud was either very sheltered.....or she wasn't on her own planet anymore. Was she even in her own time? Would she ever see Squall again? Yes. She gritted her teeth. She was just starting to get him to open up. She wasn't going to give up on them yet. She would find him, no matter what.

"Rinoa...I don't know how to tell you...but there is no Balamb here." He said. Rinoa hung her head, and closed her eyes. This definitely was not good.

"C'mon. I'll take you to Seventh Heaven. It's a bar that a friend of mine owns. You can stay there until we figure things out." Cloud offered, walking to the door of the church but waiting to see if she would accept his offer. She stood very still for several moments before nodding sadly and following him. He led her to Fenrir, his motorcycle.

"You named your motorcycle Fenrir?" She asked teasingly. Cloud laughed and nodded.

"I liked it." He said. Rinoa giggled and got in the seat behind him. He took off, and tensed a little when she wrapped her arms around him and held on for dear life. Then he shook off the discomfort and drove the rest of the way to Seventh Heaven. He stopped Fenrir just outside and got off. Rinoa follow suit and hopped off, shuddering slightly.

"You okay?" He asked. She nodded quickly and looked around with a broken look on her face. Cloud watched her quietly, wondering what she must be going through.

"I didn't recognize a single thing. I don't think I'm on my planet anymore...." She said, forcing the words through. If she didn't say them, she wouldn't get past them. And to find Squall, she needed to get past them. Cloud just watched her wordlessly. Another planet? It wouldn't surprise him. But how in the world did she end up in Aeris' church?

"If there is a way we can help, we'll figure it out." Cloud reassured, then opened the door for her. She nodded and put a smile on her face.

"Mhm." She said, then went inside with Cloud right behind her.

"You'll be safe here." He felt the need to add. Rinoa giggled, and turned her head to look at him.

"I'll try not to get too defensive on the customers." She joked, causing Cloud to chuckle. She joined in, and they walked up to the bar. A woman walked in from the back, and froze seeing the two of them. Cloud noticed her first and immediately went silent. Rinoa caught on quickly and looked up, seeing the woman who looked almost exactly like her staring back.

"Tifa, this is Rinoa. Rinoa, that's Tifa." Cloud introduced. Rinoa, not sensing the tension put on her brightest smile and held out a hand.

"Pleased to meet you, Tifa." She said. Tifa walked in and shook her hand, smiling as well. But her smile didn't reach her crimson eyes, though Rinoa never noticed.

"Pleasure's mine." She said, then said nothing more. It was true, she was jealous. Cloud barely ever smiled at her, much less laughed with her. And to see a woman that looked just like her...Tifa refused to think such thoughts. Rinoa was welcome in her bar, and she wasn't going to let petty jealousy get in the way of being a good hostess.

"Can I get you anything Rinoa?" She asked, turning to her back to her in an effort to hide what pain might be showing on her face. Rinoa scoffed.

"Yeah, a space shuttle ticket back to my own planet." She said softly, only mostly joking. Tifa whirled around, surprised.

"What?" She exclaimed. Rinoa stared at the bar, unsure how to continue. Cloud spoke up, hoping to be able to explain what he saw with words.

"I was at Aeris' church..." Cloud started, ignoring the barely visible look of concern that crossed Tifa's maroon stare. "And suddenly the water....rose up and formed a portal. Then Rinoa was dumped into the healing pool and the portal...disappeared. I thought she was you, Tifa. She looked just like you. But she comes from a place called Lamba...or something..." He finished, looking to Rinoa, who giggled, despite herself.

"Balamb." She corrected. Tifa couldn't help but giggle too. Besides the fact that technically, Rinoa was an alien, she seemed pretty cool. "I'm from Balamb. So is Squall. He was standing beside me when I blacked out and woke up here. That must mean he is here too. Have you seen him? He is tall, with brown hair and a scar on his face..." Rinoa said, hope inching into her voice. Tifa glanced at Cloud, who shook his head.

"I haven't seen anyone fitting that description, but I'll keep a look out. You have a picture we can put up? If he came from another planet as well, chances are he's lost and confused too. He might need us to find him as soon as possible." Tifa offered. Rinoa nodded, appreciative.

"Here. Thanks a lot, Tifa. I know you don't have to, but I really appreciate your help. At least I fell into the right church." She joked. Tifa took the picture wordlessly, avoiding Rinoa's gaze. Immediately noticing, she looked over at Cloud. Both wore a weary face full of sadness. Mental note....stop mentioning the church. Though she knew better, her curiosity got the better of her.

"So, whats the deal with the church? Why is it every time I mention it, you get really sad?" Rinoa asked Cloud, who didn't answer. The words were still to hard to say. Tifa, though she was in the next room, heard her question and came back out to answer it.

"It's Aeris' church. She was very close to our hearts." Tifa replied, focusing now on cleaning the bar to avoid too much thought into her friend's death.

"What happened to her?" Rinoa asked. She knew she should shut up, but she also wanted to know, and she knew it would be better for them to talk about it. It wasn't her place by any means to make them talk...but she was going to anyway.

"She was murdered in front of us." Cloud said coldly, then got up and left. Tifa sighed, and offered an apologetic shrug.

"Don't mind him...he gets that way any time anyone talks about Aeris. When Cloud first joined SOLDIER, an army controlled by ShinRa Corp, his best friend was a man named Zack Fair. Zack died saving Clouds life, and he has never stopped blaming himself.

Then he met Aeris, who endears herself to everyone in minutes. Aeris was a kind soul. The best. And...she died to save us all...Sephiroth killed her right in front of us, and Cloud couldn't save her either. He feels that their deaths are on his hands...and the guilt kills him." Tifa explained. Rinoa stared at the door Cloud left through guiltily.

"And I brought those memories up. Great way to show my appreciation..." She sighed, looking down at the now spotless counter. Tifa blushed slightly and sighed.

"Aeris' death hit us all hard. We all loved her dearly, so we keep this to remind us of her, and the reason why we are alive." Tifa said, motioning the small pink ribbon tied on her arm. Rinoa remembered seeing the pink ribbon on Cloud's arm, but never asked about it. Now she understood.

She would feel that way too if she lost Squall. If she hadn't already. She closed her eyes, mentally calling out for her lost love.

'Squall...where are you?'

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Whew. Two chapters in one day. I have a plot line decided upon, but details come as I write. Literally. Again, apologies to those Squall/Rinoa fans if my versions of them are not even close to their persona's in their game. I haven't played it yet, so I'm going on what I've read, and what I need them to be to make the plot work. Drop me a review, let me know what you think. Til next time...


	3. Chapter 3

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Yeah...so I may have forgotten about this fanfic for awhile. I also lost the notes I had for my plot...so I'm going on what little I can remember. This chapter got a little longer than I expected, what with the explanations about ShinRa and stuff. I figured that if Squall was going into the world, it'd help if he knew a little about it. That being said, this chapter is mostly talking. Soo, thanks for reading, and bear with me. Also... I don't own the characters. Unfortunately. =(

Chapter Three

"So I'm dead." The man said, looking down at himself in despair. Aeris shook her head, and Elimir looked over at her unconscious husband.

"I'm going to see what I can find out from Alek. He has to be possessed, and if he is...he knows something." She said. The man didn't move or speak, but Aeris nodded. This would give her the chance to get the man away from Alek, and get to know him. Maybe figure out how he got here, and why.

"Good idea. I'm going to take..." She looked at the man, realizing that she had no idea what his name was. He looked up and caught on quick.

"Squall." Was all he said. Aeris nodded, then looked back to Elimir and finished her sentence. "Squall...back to my house. We can talk there." She finished, looking at Squall who shrugged. He seemed forlorn now. Like he had no hope. She couldn't really blame him though, he thought he was dead. For all she knew, he was.

Elimir watched them both for a few seconds, then turned her attention to her husband. Aeris motioned for Squall to follow her, and he did. What else was he going to do? Obviously he could trust her, since she'd saved his life. But this was too complicated. Was he dead or not? Surely she had to know.

"I'm Aeris, by the way." She said as they walked down the hill just outside the Shrine. They were coming up on the ocean of life now, a beautiful blue sea of water that reflected the sun's golden rays into the sky in rainbows. It was a truly magnificent sight.

"Yeah, I heard that...Alek...call you that." Squall answered. Aeris cringed a little. She realized what Squall must be thinking. Having met Alek first, he must think that all Cetra's were as evil as he was. That, coupled with the thought that he was dead...she wondered how he felt about that. One look at his face told her that reading him would be difficult.

"We're not all like Alek." She said quietly, looking at the grass beneath her feet as they walked. Squall gazed at her face for a few moments, and caught the expression she wore. He wasn't sure why, but his heart tugged at his voice.

"Are they all like you?" He asked with a soft voice. Aeris looked at him, momentarily startled, but the look was gone instantly. She replaced it with a resigned smile.

"No. But we are a good race. We do good...not attack strangers. " She said, looking away from his face to stare out over the ocean. She was afraid that if she looked at him any longer, she would blush. He had entrancing eyes that captivated her. They were so sad, and they reminded her of Cloud so much. His brown hair draped over his face, and almost hid his scar.

"Am I dead, Aeris?" Squall asked, stopping in his tracks and watching her with determination. He wasn't going to let her beat around the bush anymore. He needed to know if he was dead..or what was he if he wasn't. Aeris froze, and kept her back to him for several seconds.

Even though he was determined to demand an answer, his thoughts strayed. Her white, feathery wings were large, but they didn't hide her figure, or her long honey brown hair tied up and braided down. A pink ribbon tied her braid together, but seemed out of place against the white robe she wore. When she finally turned to look at him, he didn't recognize the expression in her emerald eyes. She seemed to pity him...

"I...don't know." She answered quietly. Frustrated, Squall gritted his teeth.

"How can you not know?" He demanded, sounding furious. He winced, realizing that it came out much worse than he intended. Aeris seemed hurt, but she didn't lash out at him. Instead, she looked him in the eyes with a serious look washing over her features.

"Are you an Ancient?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

"Not that I know of..." He said, looking at her quizzically. He thought to tell her he didn't even know what an Ancient was, but the words never came out.

"Then I don't know how you got here. Until I know how you got here...I won't know if you are dead." She said, frustrated. She wished she knew the answers, to help him. She felt like she needed to help him...

"Where is...here..exactly?" He asked, looking around at the warm sand that covered the ground. Aeris stopped walking to turn and face him. With her arms open, she spoke.

"This is called the Promised Land. It is a sacred place for the Cetra's." She gestured to the world around him, a world so foreign to his own it was amazing in its beauty. It was like a paradise. The sun was high, the clouds were white and the water was the bluest he had ever seen. Sacred seemed right, but who were the Cetra's?

"Cetra's?"

"Protectors of the Planet. Some called us Ancients, but very few people remembered us when I was alive. I was the last of our race." She said sadly, turning from him and continuing the walk past the lake in a different direction. He could see structures up ahead.

"So this is heaven...for dead Cetra's?" He asked bluntly.

"Yes." Was all she said. He was quiet for several minutes, wondering what her life was like, and how she had coped with her death. How anyone coped with such news. How was he going to deal with it?

"Where does everyone else go?" He asked, curious now. If he wasn't an Ancient, or Cetra, where should he be?

"Into the Lifestream." She said warily. Everyone knew that, or so she thought.

"What's the Lifestream?" He asked, staring at her when she stopped dead in her tracks and whirled around. She stared at him for several seconds to determine if he was joking. He didn't know what the Lifestream was?

"It's what brings life to the Planet. It swirls through the Planet and when you die, you return to the Planet through the Lifestream to be born again. How have you never heard of the Lifestream?" She asked incredulously.

Squall shook his head. "I don't know. It's never come up. So...Am I the only non-Cetra to show up here?"

"Yes." Aeris replied, suddenly curious about his reaction to her answer. "Should we be expecting someone else?"

"No. Just... The last memory I have before waking here...I was with someone." He said, unsure how to continue. Obviously Rinoa wasn't here...but he sorely wished she was. He needed her.

"Really?" Aeris asked. Squall nodded, and took a look around. They were almost to the structures, but they didn't look like any houses he'd ever seen.

"I was hoping she was here too. She would know what was going on." He murmured sadly. Aeris didn't speculate.

"Ok...so tell me the last thing you remember." Aeris said. Maybe she could figure out through him how he got here.

"I was talking with Rinoa...the girl I thought might be here...about leaving Balamb." He looked up and stopped when he saw the confused expression on Aeris' face.

"Balamb? Where is that?" She asked. Now it was Squall's turn to look surprised.

"Balamb...is a continent." he said simply. Aeris was sure there were no continents on the Planet named Balamb, and Squall couldn't figure out how she had never heard of an entire continent.

"There is no continent named Balamb on...our...planet. Oh my god." She said, backing up. Squall held out a hand toward her, afraid she would fall.

But her realization dawned on him as well. Not only was he the first non-Cetra in their little corner of Heaven, but he wasn't even from their planet in the first place. Somehow he had been taken from his planet, from Rinoa, and transported to this Promised Land. And if he was here, where was Rinoa?

"Yes. Now it all makes sense. I have never heard of Cetra's, or the Promised Land, the Lifestream, any of it. But if I am not from this Planet...how do I get back?" Squall asked, afraid of the answer. Aeris averted her green gaze from his scarred face and took in a deep breath.

"I think the how will come after the why..." She said softly. Squall's broken eyes searched her face for a clue to the riddle she just spoke. After a moment of silence, she decided to explain.

"Obviously you were sent to our planet for a reason, Squall. And I think once we figure out the reason why you are here, then we can begin to figure out how to get you home. And how to find your Rinoa." She said with a measure of certainty. Then she felt her heart skip a beat, and the butterflies hit her. She was very still for several minutes as Squall watched her.

"What is it, Aeris?" He asked, holding a hand out to touch her shoulder briefly. She turned, and stared at the ocean of life for almost a minute before speaking.

"Something very important is happening. Someone...close to me?" She said it almost as a question, staring at the water as if for answers but receiving none.

"What does that mean?" He asked, pulling his hand away and stepping back. She shook her head.

"I don't know..." Then she motioned for him to follow as she turned away from the ocean of life and started walking towards the large seashells as if nothing weird had happened.

The closer he got, the more he realized that they resembled houses in a way. "Do you guys...live in these shells?" He asked. Aeris nodded, and turned up the sidewalk to the open mouth that appeared to be the doorway. Inside was what he expected. There was a small table against the wall, and a few chairs beside it. Around the small bend was a ladder that lead to what he assumed to their version of a bedroom.

Aeris motioned for him to sit, so he did. She filled a glass with water and handed it to him. Only then did he realize that he was thirsty...and hungry. When was the last time he ate? As he drank the glass she filled a plate with several cracker-looking items and sat it down in front of him. He stared at the plate for a moment without speaking. She giggled and sat down at the chair across from him and held up a cracker.

"Eat them. They are full of nutrients to keep you strong, and they expand in your stomach to make you feel full faster." she explained, then popped one in her mouth and ate it. He picked one up and looked at it for a second, then looked at Aeris in disbelief.

"I'm not gonna sprout wings or start waving knives at innocent people am I?" he asked, a hint of a smile on his lips. Aeris laughed, a soft laugh that reverberated through the small room that served as her house. Squall caught himself staring at her green eyes and quickly looked away before she noticed, and decided to try her cracker thing. After putting it in his mouth, he realized that it was sweet. Not at all what he was expecting.

"It's made to taste like whatever you are craving at the time. Quite handy." She said with a smile. He returned her smile and forced himself to focus on the cracker in his hand. Now that the excitement was over, he began to notice how pretty the young woman was sitting across the table from him. She had light skin and emerald eyes. Her face was framed with short brown bangs, parted in the center and falling to her ears. Then another twirl of hair fell from both sides of her face to her shoulders, and the ends of the pink ribbon peeked out from behind her head.

"What's with the pink ribbon?" He asked. Aeris stared at him for a moment, her face unreadable. Then she looked down at the plate on the table and forced a smile. Squall saw the sadness behind her smile though.

"It was a gift from a dear friend." She said softly, looking up and banishing any sadness from her expression.

"Where is your friend now?"

"He has returned to the Planet." was all she offered. Squall put together what he'd been told so far, and realized that her friend was dead. Ouch...

"I'm sorry..."

"No. Don't be. I want to remember him. I keep him close in my heart. One day I will see him again." She said, her smile genuine now. But Squall didn't understand. Wasn't this Heaven? If he was dead, shouldn't he be here? No...This was Heaven for Cetras. Her friend must not be a Cetra.

"His name was Zack Fair. He was a SOLDIER First Class. He fell into my life, quite literally, and changed it for the better. I remember his eyes, they glowed...All SOLDIER's are infused with Mako to make them strong. It's also makes their eyes glow. Sign of the SOLDIER. He was so proud to be a SOLDIER. I will never forget him, or how important he was to me." She said, looking down at the table once again as memories rushed her. Squall was lost.

"Soldier? Mako?" He asked, completely confused. Aeris smiled apologetically.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Remember what I said about the Lifestream? It's the blood of the Planet. It swirls under the surface of the planet and brings life to all things. A powerful company called the ShinRa Electric Power Company built many Mako Reactors around the continents to harvest the Lifestream and make it power the cities with electricity. It's called Mako.

Mako is also crystallized and turned into Materia. Materia can be used for several things. It calls from the powers of the Planet to alter nature. It can be used to start fires, summon bolts of electricity, shake the ground, or enhance the user's abilities. Sometimes it holds the essence of a powerful being, which can be summoned for help in sticky situations.

ShinRa is also the company that employs SOLDIER's, it's very own army, to keep people in line." Aeris explained. Squall nodded, trying to take it all in. Most of it made sense. ShinRa and SOLDIER sounded like Garden and SeeD. Mako was energy forged from the Lifestream, where all dead things go to be reborn. Wasn't that hard...but where did he fit in?

"So how did Zack...return to the Lifestream?" Squall asked.

"He died saving his best friend, Cloud Strife. Killed by the very people he had been working for." She explained.

"ShinRa? Why did they kill him?"

"They were running tests on him and Cloud. Mako tests. Hojo, the leader of ShinRa's science division, wanted them back with a passion. So ShinRa set out to capture them, but Zack wouldn't go back. He died fighting to save Cloud. Thankfully Hojo never found Cloud and gave up. He is an evil evil man. He once captured me for testing too."

For some reason Squall felt his stomach turn. If this man was half as bad as she was making him out to be, he could only guess what kind of tests they ran on her. His hand balled up into a fist suddenly, and he silently promised himself that no harm would come to her while she was in his presence. "What kind of tests?"

"Hojo wanted to find the Promised Land, and I was the only surviving Cetra. He came after me for years, and finally got me when I was saving Marlene from the falling plate. But Cloud and the rest of AVALANCHE saved me."

"Falling plate?"

"AVALANCHE was a group of rebels, Cloud, Tifa, Barret, Jessie, Wedge, and Biggs, that hated ShinRa and the fact that they were using the Planet's life to make their life comfortable. They often led attacks on ShinRa, and blew up their reactors. To stop them, ShinRa blew up the pillar holding up Sector 7 of the city, crushing all those below the plate and killing many of those above it. Cloud, Tifa, and Barret made it okay, but everyone else died. The Turks, an elite group of mercenaries working for ShinRa, found me outside my house, and threatened to hurt Marlene. So I went willingly with them."

"That's very brave of you. It sounds like ShinRa is a very bad company."

"They are. But Sephiroth is even worse. He tried to destroy this Planet by summoning Meteor to inflict a wound so great that the Planet would summon all of the Lifestream to heal the wound. He thought that by being in the wound, the Lifestream would make him a God. AVALANCHE couldn't let that happen. So we went and tried to stop him. But he seemed to always be a step ahead of us. We were too late, and he summoned Meteor."

"What happened?"

"Well...Our adventures brought us near a Forgotten City of the Ancients, the Cetra. My people. My mother passed down to me a piece of materia I could never make work. In my dream, I was told of its origin and realized what I had to do. So I left AVALANCHE, and went to the Forgotten City and prayed as hard as I could for Holy. My materia was the key to saving the Planet from Meteor. Cloud found me...but it was too late. Sephiroth was there too."

Squall found himself leaning forward against the table, the crackers forgotten. He was so engrossed in her tale that he didn't realize the level of intensity in which he was staring at her. It made her a bit uncomfortable, but she continued anyway.

"And in an effort to stop me, Sephiroth...killed me. Cloud was powerless to stop him, and never quit blaming himself. But Sephiroth was too late. Holy had heard me. Sephiroth fled, and AVALANCHE pursued him all the way to the Northern Crater, where they fought him and defeated him. But Meteor was still coming. Holy had been summoned too late, and wasn't powerful enough to stop Meteor alone. So the Elders unleashed the Planet's Lifestream as a weapon, and it worked. Meteor was destroyed, and all is well." She finished, a bit winded.

Squall stared at her in amazement. She died to save her planet. He no longer wondered how she coped with her death, she expected it. She was a hero... She reminded him of Rinoa. Brave, and strong.

She didn't realize how long they had been talking. He seemed so interested that she kept going and going. But she couldn't forget that she had brought him here to talk about himself. To find out how he got into the Promised Land. And how to get him home again...


End file.
